Vacuum cleaner wall adapter



D. PARADISO VACUUM CLEANER WALL ADAPTER Dec. 9, 1969 Fild March 20, 1968 PARADISO 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DOMINICK ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1969 PARADISQ 3,483,503

VACUUM CLEANER WALL ADAPTER Filed March 20, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hllll INVENTOR. DOMINICR' PARADISO ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,483,503 VACUUM CLEANER WALL ADAPTER Dominick Paradise, 401 Rutger Road, East Syracuse, NY. 13057 Filed Mar. 20, 1968, Ser. No. 714,703 Int. Cl. H01r 3/04 US. Cl. 339-45 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adapter for a valve plate having a hexagonal nipple sleeve for the hexagonal nipple of a vacuum cleaner hose, the adapter comprising a mounting block adapted to be nailed to the side of a Wall stud, the block having a central hexagonal aperture adapted to receive the hexagonal nipple sleeve of the valve plate, the aperture having a shoulder to mate with the slotted end of the valve plate sleeve, contacts extending into the aperture through the shoulder and adapted for engagement with the metal hexagonal nipple end of a vacuum cleaner hose when projected through the open valve of the valve plate and the valve plate sleeve.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaner installations of the centralized Vacuum blower type, and more particularly to wall adapters and valves for receiving flexible vacuum cleaner hose.

In the design and construction of homes and the like the installation of centralized vacuum cleaner apparatus is often proposed, which requires piping hidden in the walls, for connecting the valved hose outlet, in various rooms to such manifold or other piping leading to the power suction blower apparatus. It is highly desirable in such apparatus that the motor of such apparatus be automatically energized by the insertion of the flexible hose nipple into one of the valved outlets. The cost of such equipment is such that many builders do not wish to incur such expense at the time of building. Yet if it is not installed while the building is being constructed much mess is involved in installing the apparatus after the building is constructed and decoration completed.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a relatively cheap adapter unit that can be built into the house at selected points where a hose valve might later be desired, if at a later date, it is desired to install centralized apparatus. The builder can afford to install one or more of such adapter units, and at a later date install the apparatus to go with the units, without any alteration of the building structure, whatsoever.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a section view through a wall adjacent to the flooring showing the adapter and associated parts in section, with a hose nipple in pl-ace;'

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the adapter nailed to the side of a stud;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the adapter, taken on the broken line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of a contact member, also taken on the line 22; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the slotted end of the tube afiixed to the valve plate.

3,483,503 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 Referring to the drawings there is shown a typical Wall section adjacent the floor having a stud 20 extending up from a floor plate 22 secured to flooring 24. To such studs, is secured plaster board 26 and 28. Before the application of plaster board 26, an adapter 30 is secured in place by nailing to the side of a stud such as 20 by nails 32 and 34, for which apertures 36 and 38 are provided in the adapter. The front face 31 of the adapter is disposed flush with the stud face 21. The adapter is provided with an integral plaster guard ring 40 and a guarded spring and hinge recess 42, the same being provided with a plaster guard 44 of U-shaped outline, and of the same height as the annular shoulder 40. The adapter is provided with a hexagonal aperture 46, and the back face of the adapter is adapted to receive a plastic elbow 48 secured to the back of the adapter as by screws 50 threaded into the elbow flange 49. A length of low cost plastic pipe 52 extending vertically downwardly extends through an aperture 52 in the plate 22 and floor 24. The length of such pipe will be sufiicient to afford ready coupling to a vacuum manifolding in the basement or elsewhere leading to a vacuum cleaner tank and motor.

The hexagonal aperture in the adapter is provided With a shoulder 54 inwardly of the front of the adapter, such as to block the further insertion beyond such shoulder of a hexagonal tube of an external dimension complemental to the internal dimensions of the hexagonal aperture 46.

A face plate 60 has afiixed thereto a hexagonal tube 62 whose external dimensions are complemental to the aperture 46, and is adapted to be mounted upon the wall, with its tubular portion 62 extending into the aperture 46. By removing a portion of the tube 62 to provide a Wide slot as at 64, the tube 62 is enable to be inserted full into the aperture 46, the tube 62 clearing the shoulder 54 by having the slot 64 of the tube complemental thereto The face plate 60 is provided with a spring closed valve plate 66, the pivot 68 and coil spring 70 of which are accommodated by the recess 42, when the plate is installed. It will be understood that when the plaster board 26 is installed, it is first provided with an aperture adequate to clear the guard ring 40 and recess guard 44, so as to leave an adequate aperture to permit the pivot 68 and coil spring 70 to extend into the recesses, as well as the heel 67 of the valve plate, when opened to receive the hexagonal nipple 72 of a vacuum cleaner attachment hose. The plate 60 is secured in position by screws 110 and 112, threaded into apertures 102 and 104 in the adapter.

Extending through the shoulder portion 54 of the aperture 46 are two spring pressed contact members, 74 each comprising a hemispherical ball contact 76 and shoulder 78 arranged in an aperture 80 in the adapter, which is provided with an annular lip 82 to engage the shoulder 78 to gage the distance the ball contact may project beyond the surface 79 of shouldered portion 54 of the opening 46. Each contact member is backed up by a coil compression spring 84 which bears against the end 86 of a binding post 88, the shank 90 of which is threaded into the aperture 80. A pair of low voltage insulated conductors 92 and 94 are connected to the binding posts by the screws 96, looking the conductor ends in the binding post apertures 98. Sufficient wire to reach the basement for ready connection is installed with the adapter with the wires held in the binding posts, before the plaster board 26 is applied to the wall.

The nipple 72 of the vacuum cleaner hose is metallic, and on full insertion into the opening 46, contacts the spaced ball contact ends 76 and completes a low voltage electric circuit by bridging the contacts 76 to start the vacuum cleaner motor in the basement. It will be observed that the face of the hexagonal opening 46 in the adapter is opposite to the shoulder portion 54 and provides a solid support or bearing for the face plate hexagonal tube 62 so that when the conductive hose nipple is fully inserted, it is forced to bear against the contacts 76, and thereby positively complete a circuit.

The adapter may be of molded plastic and of low cost and may be installed in the house by the builder, the aperture in the plaster board being covered over by a flat plain dummy plate secured by screws threaded in the apertures .102 and 104. Thus long after a house has been built, should the occupant decide to install a central vacuum cleaner unit, the occupant will find the adapters ready and in place for receiving the valve plates necessary. The plastic tubing left extending into the basement is readily coupled to the basement central vacuum cleaning tank and motor by manifolding installed at such time. At such time the conductors are connected to the control circuit for the newly installed vacuum cleaner unit. Thus by the insertion of the inexpensive adapters, and an elbow and a short section of tubing with each at the time of constructing the house, the builder may build into the house the opportunity to install, with the utmost of ease, a centralized vacuum cleaner system at any later date, when the occupant determines the desirability thereof. The dummy face :plates will stand as a constant reminder that the installation can be made without any harm to the house structure or its interior decoration. It may have such suggestive legend thereon, as your future vacuum cleaner with the trade name of such cleaner. The hexagonal aperture, being designed to mate with a particular quality brand of vacuum cleaner unit, can save for the builder, and the particular vacuum cleaner manufacturer, the sale of such brand for the future, knowing that any attempt to alter the adapter to receive a competing brand will result in harm to the building structure and the adapter, if an attempt is made to install a unit that is not complementary to or capable of interfitting with the adapters built into the house.

It will be understood that in some houses the ultimate location of the central vacuum cleaner apparatus may be located in places other than the basement. In any event the fitting 48 and tube 52 that will be built in will necessarily need to extend to some location where it is accessible for later connection to the central apparatus, when it is installed.

While a hexagonal opening and hose nipple have been described for convenience, any irregular shape such as would prevent rotation can be selected. It will be appreciated that by preventing rotation, wear on the contacts 74 is kept at a minimum since the contacts will be wiped only by the rectilinear insertion or removal of the hose fitting, rotation being prevented.

While a single form of the invention has been illus- 4 trated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be ap parent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for a valve plate having a nipple sleeve for the nipple of a vacuum cleaner hose, said adapter comprising a mounting block having a front surface adapted to be disposed flush with the front face of a wall stud and a side surface adapted to abut a side surface of the stud, said block having a central aperture normal to said front surface adapted to receive the nipple sleeve of the valve plate, said central aperture having a shoulder adapted to mate with a slotted end of the valve plate sleeve, and contact means mounted in said block and extending into said central aperture through said shoulder and adapted for engagement with the nipple end of a vacuum cleaner hose when projected through the open valve of the valve plate and the valve plate sleeve, and apertures on either side of said central aperture normal to said side surface for the reception of elongate headed means to secure the block to the side of a stud.

2. An adapter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said central aperture is polygonal, and the shoulder extends across one face of the polygonal aperture.

3. An adapter as set forth in claim '1 having a valve plate nipple sleeve disposed in said central aperture, said sleeve having a portion cut away to provide a slot complemental to said shoulder.

4. An adapter as set forth in claim 3 wherein said central aperture is non-circular in cross section, said valve plate nipple is of a cross section complemental to said central aperture.

5. An adapter as set forth in claim 3 wherein said central aperture is polygonal in cross section, and said valve plate sleeve is of a cross section Eomplemental to said central aperture.

6. An adapter as set forth in claim 3 wherein said central aperture is of hexagonal cross section, and said shoulder extends across one face of said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,877,313 3/1959 Stoicos l5-3l4-XR 3,076,068 1/1963 Racklyeft 15314XR MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

15-314; ZOO-61.6; 339-19 

